Chapter 7
Interpersonal Relationships
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A healthy relationship is characterized by _______
2. Jocelyn is one of Violet’s Facebook “friends.” They went to high school together but never saw
each other outside of school. When Facebook reminds Jocelyn that it’s Violet’s birthday, she
writes “Happy Birthday!” on her wall, but they do not communicate otherwise. Jocelyn and
Violet are _______
3. What is the difference between an acquaintance and a friend?
4. All of the following are guidelines for maintaining friendships except _______
5. Linh is upset with her boyfriend, Aaron. Instead of telling Aaron why she is upset, Linh talks
to her friends and her mother about her feelings. When Aaron asks what is wrong, Linh
replies, “Nothing.” What guideline about communicating in intimate relationships is Linh
violating?
6. Anita is realizing that her idea of “spontaneous” is very different from her partner’s and that is
why they fight about vacations every year. She is engaging in which strategy?
7. Todd knows he is a talented public speaker, and his audiences praise his speeches. Todd’s
speaking talent falls into which quadrant of his Johari window?
8. Cassie knows that she has difficulty reading. She does not disclose this information to her
friends. This information falls into the quadrant of her Johari window labeled _______
9. _______ is a practice of emphasizing someone’s positive qualities and focusing less on their
negative ones.
10. Susan knows I blush when I am praised; I do not. My reaction to praise would fall into the
quadrant of my Johari window labeled
_______
11. Nick wants to spend lots of time with his new partner, David. He likes feeling like a bonded
couple and enjoys the time they share. However, he also doesn’t want to lose his feeling of
independence. What relationship dialectic is Nick struggling with?
12. The relationship stage characterized by looking for feelings of relaxation and confirmation is
_______
13. One benefit of electronically-mediated relationships is that they ________
14. The relationship stage characterized by merging social networks is
________
15. The relationship stage in which we are more likely to act selflessly is ________
16. Ian and Kelly still have date night every Thursday in order to have time together away from
the family, but lately they barely talk and they have started just going to the same restaurant
instead of trying new things every week like they had originally planned. They are
experiencing _______
17. One of the signs that we recognize we are dissatisfied with a relationship is when _______
18. Delia and Eloise are so bored of their routines that they decide to completely disregard
predictability and spend a week doing lots of new things they have never done. This is an
example of which strategy of managing relationship dialectics?
19. In the previous question Delia and Eloise are attempting to deal with which relational dialectic?
20. To successfully terminate a relationship, we should
_______
True/False Questions
1. Many relationships remain static over time.
2. According to your textbook, a platonic relationship is less intimate than a romantic
relationship.
3. Your Johari window is not fixed; it will change over time to reflect changes in your
relationship.
4. Electronically-mediated communication isn’t as intimate as face-to-face communication.
5. The need for physical contact doesn’t apply to online relationships.
Essay Questions
1. All too often we use withdrawal, avoidance, or manipulation to end relationships. Think about
a relationship that you ended or a relationship you watched end. How could direct, open
honesty have helped this relationship end better, or even transformed it into a different kind
of functioning relationship?
2. Imagine you are a relationship advice columnist. You receive the following email. Using what
you know about relationship dialectics, respond to this person. Be sure to use at least 3 terms
from the chapter: (p. 149-151; students should identify the dialectic [autonomy-connection],
identify the current management strategy [temporal selection], and suggest another strategy
[e.g. reframing])
Dear Communication Expert,
I’m having a problem in my relationship. I love spending time with my boyfriend Max. We
have fun together, he’s really nice, and I really like him. However, I don’t want to be with him
all of the time. I like doing my own thing too. My friends say this is weird and that if I love
Max, I should want to be with him as much as possible. Max also seems hurt when I say I
want time alone. Right now, I’m just giving in and spending most of my time with him
because it seems like the right thing to do; but I’m not happy. I don’t want to break up with
Max, but I also don’t want him to be my whole life. Is something wrong with me? Can I fix
this problem?
Thank you!
Confused in California
3. Define the four quadrants of the Johari window. Describe your own Johari window, and explain
how it changes in a relationship with a family member compared with a relationship with a
classmate.
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